§1364. Certificate issued by the state; eligibility

A. Any person or entity seeking to provide cable service or video service in this state after August 15, 2008, shall file an application for a state franchise with the secretary of state as required by this Section and shall provide a copy of such application simultaneously to each local governmental subdivision listed in Paragraph (B)(2) of this Section.

B. The secretary of state shall issue a certificate authorizing the applicant to offer cable service or video service in this state within thirty days of receipt of an application, which shall consist of an affidavit submitted by the applicant and signed by an officer or general partner of the applicant affirming all of the following items:

(1) The applicant agrees to comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations.

(2) A list of municipalities and parishes to be served, in whole or part, by the applicant, which list shall be updated by the applicant prior to the provision of cable service or video service to an area within a previously undesignated local governmental subdivision.

(3) The location of the principal place of business and the names of the principal executive officers of the applicant.

(4) The applicant agrees to maintain insurance in an amount not less than one million dollars either through a policy of public liability insurance or through self-insurance.

C. The certificate issued by the secretary of state shall be effective thirty days after issuance and shall contain all of the following:

(1) A grant of authority to provide cable service or video service as requested in the application.

(2)(a) A grant of authority to construct facilities along and over the public roads or public works or public rights of way and along and parallel to any of the railroads and waters in the state whether owned, maintained, or provided by a local governmental subdivision or the state in the delivery of that service, subject to the laws of this state, including the lawful exercise of police powers of the local governmental subdivisions in which the service is delivered.

(b) With respect to any area that is privately owned, the grant in this Chapter provides the holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority with the same, but no greater, rights for the placement of facilities pursuant to this Chapter as those rights currently existing pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statutes for the placement of facilities for any company formed for the purpose of transmitting intelligence by telephone or telegraph or other system of transmitting intelligence.

(3) A statement that the franchise is for a term of fifteen years, is renewable, and is nonexclusive.

D. The certificate issued by the secretary of state is fully transferable to any successor in interest to the applicant to which it is initially granted. A notice of transfer shall be promptly filed with the secretary of state within ten days of the completion of the transfer.

E. The certificate issued pursuant to this Chapter may be terminated by the cable service provider or video service provider by submitting written notice of the termination to the secretary of state.

F. A holder of a certificate who seeks to amend its current certificate to include additional areas to be served shall file an amended application which reflects the new service area to be served and shall provide a copy of such amended application simultaneously to any affected local governmental subdivision within the new service area.

G. The failure of the secretary of state to notify the applicant of the incompleteness of the applicant's affidavit or issue a certificate before the thirtieth day after receipt of a completed affidavit shall constitute issuance of the certificate applied for without further action on behalf of the applicant.

H. A cable service provider is deemed to have or have had a franchise to provide cable service in a specific local governmental subdivision on August 15, 2008, if any predecessor of the cable service provider had a cable franchise agreement granted by that specific local governmental subdivision on that date.

I. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the secretary of state shall have no regulatory authority over any cable service provider or video service provider.

Acts 2008, No. 433, §1.